(Click on the flag to see the route through Laos)
Travelogue Laos
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Day 17 Sunday 21 January: |
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From Mengla (China) to Luang Nam Tha (Laos) in total 125 km. |
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Today is the last day among the spitting Chinese. We will leave China and head for Laos. The only problem is that it will be a long ride (over 100 kilometers). The first part went smoothly. Between the mountains along a river. When you manage (as Kees and Marcel) to get the right speed (gear) around you can get to the summit of the next hill making use of the speed you gained at the last one. Rob and Frank have more problems with it and are behind soon. But after taking a rest and a picture we all regrouped. The border is further then we expected. Some 55 instead of the 40 we had hoped for. |
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Our last impression of China; a beautiful waterfall in the morning fog. |
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At the Chinese border we had no problems. We think they were happy we left the country. Just as we were. Not that we don't like it in China but we are looking forward to see a new country and other people. In no man's land we took some pictures in order to be able to show this event at home. Then of to Laos. We filled in the papers, got the stamps and on hopped on our bikes to head for Luang Nam Tha. In Laos the surrounding changed immediately. Jungle everywhere, and although we had seen some in China already this jungle is much more beautiful. Many birds, two snakes but almost no people (only one with an AK 47 on his shoulders). As expected the quality of the road got poor. The asphalt has many holes filled with gravel. So one has to take care (we are lucky that the road is going down all the way). From the border to our stop it is still 65 kilometers and at the end of the day we can hardly sit on our bicycles. Our legs refuse service and ours bottoms hurt. We arrive at our guesthouse rather late, even when we were lucky that we have had an extra hour today due to the time difference between China and Laos. Nice are the baguettes in Laos and we ordered a few when we got of our bikes. Even before we took a shower (only cold water from now on). The lights go out 21.30 and we have to bed but the owner of the guesthouse has still some sticky rice with heart to eat for her favourite guests. Until late at night music is comming from the house on the other side of the road. Music of the band Carabao. Although it is a Thai band it is clear that they have also fans in Laos . |
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Day 18 Monday 22 January: |
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From Luang Nam Tha to Viangphouka (70 km). |
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After the wild evening yesterday we had a slow start (of course later today we felt as sorry as could be). First we walked over the local market. It was nice to see all the indigenous people in a normal environment. Just looking at their native dress and see what kind of things they gathered from the forest and fields to sell at the market. After we stocked up some more baguettes for the lunch we set of. We stopped already after 4 kilometers at a temple. We talked with one of the monks and were invited into the classroom where al the small monks got their lessons. They were quite impressed when we told in Thai (Lao language is rather similar to Thai and that is as you know rather simple) that we cycled from Kunming in China to Lampang in Thailand. After we left we could enjoy the paved road another 2 kilometers. From then on it was a dirt track al the way in Laos. It was a hard day especially for our bottoms that had not recovered from the long journey yesterday. But luckily the surroundings get more beautiful each day and the people nicer. When you arrive in a village all children walk towards the road and shout "Sabai di" (good luck). Also all people (with our without muzzleloader) walking on the road stop and wish you a good trip. Around noon it started to be rather hot, causing Marcel and Kees (who had the most problems with the unpaved road) to fall behind. Also because they took the heat as an excuse to stop frequently to enjoy the magnificent views. After 70 kilometers everybody was very happy to see a sign pointing at a bamboo hut that was our guesthouse for the night. |
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Quiet village just after Luang Nam Tha. The children didn't discover us yet and for the one time we have nice and quiet lunch |
Only a few wild animals we sighted along the road. The local population did eat most of them already. A pity for them, luckily for the animal on the picture this strange animal is to quick for them. |
And what do you think of this specimen? |
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At dinner we met an English cyclist. He was coming from Thailand and making a tour through Laos. It was good to talk to somebody that was coming from the opposite side, so we could exchange some tips. And after dinner we went to bed early because lights went out on 8 O'clock. |
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Day 19 Tuesday 23 January: |
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From Viangphouka to Ban Tha Fa (52 km). |
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As a starter today a Laotian breakfast (fried fish, pork and sticky rice). We waved goodbye to our fellow cyclist and got on our bikes. The first few kilometers were unpaved but not that bad. After we passed a lignite quarry the road got worse. The road (that had been there 5 years ago according to the local people) was totally destroyed by the 10 wheel trucks passing over it on their way to the Thai border. As usual this was no problem for Frank and Rob. Kees (who had caught a cold) and Marcel had more problems. Kees tumbled of his bike at the first descent. Luckily no damage, except a blow to the ego of our friend . The average speed was not that high. Due to the bad road it was impossible to gain time in the descend of each mountain. Also the surroundings were not as beautiful as yesterday, but maybe that was because we could not look around. We needed to keep our eyes on the road. Rob and Frank arrived over a half-hour earlier in Ban Ta Fa and used this time to refresh themselves in the local bathhouse (read brooklet). We arrived at our sleeping address (the local truckstop) early. So we could sit in the sun and have a good tasting Beer Lao to wash down the dust. We checked our luggage if we could find items that we didn't need anymore but which the family could use. Especially Marcel his "point-it" booklet was a good gift. After the girls had discovered that page with contraceptives they couldn't stop giggling. |
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Better late then never. |
At least 93 kilometers a sore butt. |
No comment needed. |
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At 6 the family started to eat and also our dinner was served: rice with egg. Delicious, we only worry about our cholesterol levels because we have had egg almost every day. At 10 O'clock the father sends us all to bed. In a corner of the house / barn / restaurant / café a few mattresses were tossed down. Some of us had problems sleeping. A couple of truckdrivers entered around midnight, when everybody just went to sleep, and left at three. According to Rob they were driving, playing cards and making a lot of noise. At 4 the cock situated right beneath us started to crow. Then Rob went for his earplugs in order to get some sleep. So, Rob was in a very bad mood the next day and when told why. Kees replied that it could not have been that terrible because every time Kees woke up Rob was sleeping. |
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From Ban Tha Fa (Laos) to Chiang Kong (Thailand) in total 80 km. |
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After the traditional rice with egg we headed for Thailand. Our English college mentioned that it was 60 km. But that was a little less then the actual ride. Like yesterday all roads (except for the last 10 km) were unpaved. It started to get very hot later that day and after some mountains from the "hors" category were climbed we got down hearted. It was good we still had our supporters along the road shouting when we passed by. At one of the villages Frank told us that know he knew how Sinterklaas (sorry, but no proper translation in English possible. One can say that this bishop has been the source of inspiration for Santa Claus) was feeling. At every stop we also ran into our other friends; those little black pigs that greeted us with loud noises. |
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Living in clover. |
Having comments about people passing by. |
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Some 30 kilometers before the border we stopped at a checkpoint of the Laotian customs. We made their day because we bought a bottle of cola from then. When we were talking with them they told us we had still another 40 kilometers to go (and for some of us that was a distance they didn't count on anymore). But we made it. At 4 O'clock we were at the border. There we filled in all papers and for the last time we tried the local cuisine. After we arrived in Thailand and finished all paperwork (it took us only 5 minutes) we did choose the first (and probably best, as turned out later) guesthouse that was offered. The shower was fantastic. With the hot water we could was away all dust from the last days and we can say that now we know were the red River finds it origin. After that we phoned the home front. As always Gerda was not home and Veow tried to arrange the rest of the holiday. For dinner we went into town were had one of the most delicious dinners of this holiday (These are the words of Marcel, and everybody that knows him understands what this means) |
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Greetings Marcel, Kees, Rob and Sony. |
Last update 28 February 2001
